• Senegal plans to launch a national wheat strategy to support local production.

• Eight local wheat varieties have been developed and tested since 2023.

• The country aims to reduce wheat imports by at least 40% by 2028.

Senegal is preparing a national strategy to develop its wheat sector and kick-start domestic production, which is currently non-existent. A two-day national workshop held from July 29 to 30 in Saint-Louis brought together farmers, researchers, processors, and officials to lay the groundwork for a formal program.

The goal is to build an operational wheat development strategy. According to the Senegalese Press Agency (APS), the initiative falls under the FIRST ACT project, led by the Directorate of Research and Innovation in partnership with international collaborators.

“This workshop is the outcosssssme of all activities under this project. Today, it brings together all the actors and partners to discuss the rollout of this program,” said El Hadj Malick Lèye, the project coordinator.

Technical progress has already been made toward this goal. Since 2023, the Senegalese Institute for Agricultural Research (ISRA) has developed and approved eight locally produced wheat varieties. These new strains are currently being tested in the Senegal River Valley, where demonstration plots have helped assess their yields and adaptability.

Lèye added that training sessions have been conducted to support farmers, confirming growing interest in wheat, a crop previously sidelined in Senegal. The next phase will focus on distributing the new seeds for large-scale cultivation.

The upcoming national strategy will help organize the wheat value chain, attract public and private investment, and set clear production targets. It will also address productivity, local processing, and sustainability goals.

Senegal aims to reduce wheat imports by at least 40% by 2028. In 2024, the country imported 904,947 tons of wheat worth $301.3 million, according to the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD).